1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a management apparatus, an information processing method, and a storage medium. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for transmitting various types of data to image processing apparatuses.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional management apparatus transmits various data at once by one transmission operation to a plurality of apparatuses (image processing apparatuses such as multifunction peripherals (MFPs), copying machines, or printers) constituting an apparatus group (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-323364). According to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-323364, a user of a management apparatus can form a group of image processing apparatuses with a simple operation by setting the number of image processing apparatuses that can be registered with the group and conditions therefor. Furthermore, by transmitting various data to the apparatus group, the load on the user can be reduced.
Moreover, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-163463 discusses a method for building a virtual printer system including a plurality of image processing apparatuses. In the method discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-163463, a user inputs a print job to the built-up virtual printer system.
After analyzing a characteristic of the print job, the virtual printer system determines an image processing apparatus that actually performs printing from among image processing apparatuses in the virtual printer system. Thus, the user is aware of the virtual printer system only. That is, in this case, it becomes unnecessary for the user to know which image processing apparatus performs the instructed printing.
However, the management apparatus discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-163463 transmits the same data to all image processing apparatuses in the apparatus group formed by the user.
That is, in the case where a plurality of image processing apparatuses having different functions is grouped as one image processing apparatus, it is useful to transmit data only to the desired image processing apparatus. However, the management apparatus discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-163463 cannot perform this processing.
Furthermore, in the system discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-163463, in the case where a plurality of data on which similar processing is performed by the same image processing apparatus exists, the transmission of either of the plurality of data may become disabled depending on the configuration of the virtual printer system.